


A Few Good Men

by sg_wonderland



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Episode Related, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-22
Updated: 2011-06-22
Packaged: 2017-10-20 15:36:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/214291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sg_wonderland/pseuds/sg_wonderland
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“They were both good men, Daniel. And they didn’t deserve what happened to them.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Few Good Men

A Few Good Men

He badgered and whined and bitched until Fraiser finally relented and released him from the infirmary. Of course, there were a few hoops to jump through. Morning vitals must be within accepted ranges. Breakfast must be eaten cheerfully. The cut on his neck must be re-examined and re-bandaged after his shower. And then he was informed he wasn’t allowed to drive.

“I can’t drive?” His voice spiraled.

“You are exhausted, Colonel O’Neill. I cannot, in good conscience, turn you loose on the unwitting citizens of Colorado Springs. I’ve already called for a driver.” He muttered something uncomplimentary under his breath that Fraiser chose to ignore. “Oh, I see your driver has arrived. Good morning, Daniel.” Fraiser smiled as he entered, then stopped a few feet from Jack’s bed.

“How is he?” He glanced at Jack before looking at Fraiser.

“I’m not deaf, you know,” Jack interjected before she could answer.

“There’s nothing wrong with him that some rest won’t fix.” She patted Daniel’s arm. “Good luck.”

*

Jack used what little energy he had left to complain, bitterly, when Daniel deposited him at the top gate and trotted across the parking lot for Jack’s truck. He staggered to his feet when Daniel pulled up, tried to walk around the truck. Daniel met him halfway around. “Where do you think you’re going?”

He jerked his arm out of Daniel’s hand. “I think I’m getting behind that wheel and I’m driving myself home.”

“Oh, but you’re not.”

“Oh, but I am.”

“No. You aren’t cleared to drive. You either get your ass in the passenger side or you can find your little bed back in the infirmary. But you are not driving home.” The gate guard failed to smother the snicker but automatically sobered when he was stabbed by two sets of eyes, one pair flashing blue, the other pair glacial and brown.

Jack took a step forward; Daniel failed to retreat. “Okay, fine!” Jack flung himself in the truck, snapping his seatbelt and settled down for a good sulk.

*

Loath as he was to admit it, Jack realized he would have been a danger on the road. Despite the grief Jack liked to give him, Daniel really was a good driver. Careful and attentive, he stopped smoothly at the lights and didn’t run over many pedestrians.

He let Daniel slide him out of the truck, praying he could stay upright long enough to make it to the bedroom. He shuffled into the house, down the hall, his last thought as he fell face-down across the bed was that he was glad he’d peed before he left the mountain.

*

Daniel let him go, knowing Jack wouldn’t thank him for hovering at this precise moment. He garaged the truck, picked up the mail (either two days worth or two weeks, depending on whose time theory under which you were currently operating) and strolled slowly back up the front walk, engaging the alarm behind him almost absently.

He found Jack in the exact position in which he’d fallen. He could, he supposed, leave Jack like he was but he didn’t think Jack looked all that comfortable. It took a lot of work but Daniel finally wrestled a sleeping Jack down to T-shirt and boxers, covering him with a blanket from the linen closet since there was no way he could get Jack up and under the covers.

Daniel headed to the den with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a glass of milk and a book.

*

Jack’s bladder poked him rather impatiently some time later. Stumbling with his eyes closed, he felt his way into the bathroom, relieved himself and stumbled back out, wondering what time it was. Or even what day. Daniel had driven them home sometime yesterday. At least Jack was optimistic enough to think it was just yesterday.

And speaking of Daniel, where the hell was he? Shrugging into a robe, he followed the light from the den. And there he found Daniel, stretched out on Jack’s shabbily comfortable extra-long couch, glasses neatly folded on the book on the floor, blanket drawn up to his shoulders.

*

Several thoughts crossed Daniel’s bleary mind at once. There was some kind of weird light flickering across his determinedly closed eyes. A waft of fresh air drifted through the room. His feet were being rhythmically and expertly massaged. He considered going back to sleep but the foot massage felt too good to waste the sensation. Besides, he felt safe and secure and when was it that he had starting equating Jack’s presence with security?

“Good at that,” he mumbled.

“Got a Boy Scout medal in foot massage,” came the dry reply.

One eye ventured open, realized the light was from the TV and not an actual light and nudged the other eye open. “You wake up the weirdest way,” Jack commented.

“Yeah?” Daniel sat up, embarrassed as he pulled his feet from Jack’s lap. He drew his knees up to his chest, his hand unerringly finding his discarded glasses. He gave Jack a good visual going over. “You okay?”

Jack sighed. “Tough mission.”

“I wish I’d been here…” He started.

“No,” Jack interrupted. “I’m glad you weren’t there. When Carter….when we realized how bad it was going to get, I was nothing but glad you weren’t here. At least part of  
SG-1 was gonna survive this one. Even if you’d never know what happened.”

Daniel frowned. “We wouldn’t have been able to get through the gate.”

“No. Major Curtis would have taken her team, and you, to Alpha.” Jack knew that the commander at the alpha site, Colonel Wright, would have tried to dial the SGC afterwards but the truth was the teams that had been out there, the personnel at Alpha, would have been all that was left of Earth. Jack stared at the flickering, muted television. “They were both good men, Daniel. And they didn’t deserve what happened to them.”

“I’m sorry, Jack. They were friends of yours, both of them?”

“I suggested Henry Boyd for SG-10. And at one time, Frank and I were friends, good friends. I thought I’d forgiven him a long time ago, Daniel, but when he walked in, it just brought it all back.”

“That’s only natural, Jack. You spent four months in prison because of his decision.”

“The thing is, I’d have done the same thing, would have had to weigh saving men I knew were alive against one I thought was dead.”

“I’m just sorry you had to make that decision.”

“It’s never easy to leave a man behind.” Jack couldn’t meet Daniel’s eyes.

“Not the same thing, Jack.” Daniel shook his head.

“Oh, yeah, because of the whole saving Earth thing.” Jack snarled.

“Yes, because of that. You had no choice but to leave me, Jack. You couldn’t have taken me with you and there wasn’t time to get me to the sarcophagus.”

“I could have at least tried.”

“No, you didn’t have the time and you know that. What happened to me wasn’t your fault any more than what happened to Henry Boyd or Frank Cromwell was their fault. Some things just happen.”

Jack nearly laughed. “That’s a remarkably generous outlook on life, Dr. Jackson.”

Daniel snuggled down into the warm cocoon of his blanket. “I’m a remarkably generous human being. And you’re lucky to have me as a friend.”

Jack waited until Daniel had gone back to sleep. “Yes, I am.”


End file.
